Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

Sarah Dessen is an author who makes her stories really relatable to young adult women. Her realistic fiction takes you into her own made up world with many different stories to tell.

 In her novel, Lock and Key, Dessen tells the story of Ruby. She had a tough upbringing with her unstable mother and is left without a father. Ruby tells the reader the patterns of her mother’s absences. After one of her mom’s longest trips, she does not return. Ruby continues to live in the house her mom rented for a few more weeks until the landlord realizes she is living alone. Since Ruby is a minor, the landlord calls child services. Cora, Ruby’s older sister, is contacted and Ruby is sent to live with her. 

Cora lives a vastly different life than Ruby does. Cora lives in a giant house and is married to the CEO of Ume.com, the hit social network everyone uses. Ruby has to switch from a huge public school to a small, private college preparatory school. She finds it hard to connect with many of the people at the school and only makes a few friends. It takes Ruby a long time to adjust to this new lavish lifestyle because she was accustomed to making all the money for her and her mom. There are clear signs of tension between the two sisters and eventually the truth comes out regarding why that tension is there. 

This book is about Ruby discovering who she is and it is an exciting journey to take. There are ups and downs and I had trouble putting this book down. It is a great read and I was never bored reading it!

Veronica K.

Pregnant Pause by Han Nolan

Pregnant Pause by Han Nolan is a piece of writing that can inspire girls. It is similar to the shows Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant that appear on MTV. 

Eleanor is 16 years old when she gets pregnant by her boyfriend, Lam. They soon get married after both families find out about the pregnancy and they live in a camp house that Lam’s parents offered them. Eleanor has to deal with many of Lam’s mistakes after they are married just so she can be with him. She is willing to stick with him as long as he shows some affection toward her. 

When their baby is born, however, Lam is nowhere near enough to see the birth. She is left alone with a baby who has been detected to have Down’s Syndrome. Her parents are constantly telling her she wouldn't be a good mother and she should think of adoption. In my point of view, her decision is inspiring because, although she is alone, she is still willing to keep the baby. She doesn't have a job, a house, a car or money but with a child in her life now she is willing to overcome any obstacles in the way of her and her baby’s  happiness. 

If you’re interested in finding out where she finally got to work (after only ten days of searching for a job), earn money and find a place to stay, read Pregnant Pause.

Casy E.

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Maureen Johnson’s book, 13 Little Blue Envelopes, is a really fascinating
book. It starts with Aunt Peg’s life and how she was always running away from what she loved because she thought an artist shouldn't feel comfortable but that an artist should always be and feel challenged. That’s why she moved to places she didn't know and started all over again whenever she began to like something about her life too much. When her aunt died, Ginny received a package which contained 13 letters from her. Each of the letters gives her a task she must complete before opening the next letter. Ginny ends up traveling all around Europe where she falls in love with a British guy. 

I thought this book was really interesting because while I was reading it, I had no idea what was going to happen next or what was going to be Ginny’s next assignment. In one chapter she was falling for the British guy, Keith, and in the next one, she was in Rome asking out an Italian guy! This book is full of surprises and that’s why I liked it. I think anyone who likes adventure and traveling will enjoy reading about Ginny and crazy Aunt Peg in 13 Little Blue Envelopes.

Silva W.

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

The Last Song is a very good book for people who like romantic stories with a bit of drama. This story was about a 17-year old girl, Ronnie, who is devastated when she finds out her parents are getting a divorce. Her mom thinks it would be in her best interest to go spend the summer with her father in Wilmington, South Carolina. Ronnie gets to South Carolina and falls in love with a boy she met at the beach. This boy made a big impact on Ronnie. Ronnie’s dad, being the awesome pianist he is, entertains Ronnie by playing several different songs for her on the piano. A few weeks into Ronnie’s visit, her dad gets very ill. I really enjoyed this book because I didn’t ever want to put it down and it constantly kept me wondering what was going to happen next.



Stefanie T.

Sh*t my Dad Says by Justin Halpern

I read "Sh*t My Dad Says" and I thought the book was really good because it told about his own life and the things his dad would tell him.

A few examples from the book of lessons his dad taught him are when Justin Halpern tried out for the freshman football team his dad said “I ain’t letting you try out, you’re too skinny”. His dad also said “No, I hate to break it to you, but you can’t do whatever you want” and “you most certainly are not a man”.

I think people would like this book because it relates to a lot of people’s fathers because of the things his dad would say to him. I can see my father saying the same things to me.

Jon C.

Caucasia by Danzy Senna

Danzy Senna’s book, Caucasia, is a fiction book which takes you on a ride through two young girls’ lives growing up in Roxbury in the 1970s. With a black, intellectual father, Deck Lee, whose history only goes back to his grandmother and a white mother, Sandy Lee, who grew up in Boston along with heirs from a well known historic white family, the two girls take on different appearances. Cole Lee, the older sister, has milk chocolate skin and perfect curly African hair while her little sister, Birdie Lee, takes after their mother and has creamy coffee skin and straight hair. The sisters are sent to a black power school where they both encounter hardships and trials in order to be accepted, especially Birdie who struggles to be accepted as a black student. Soon thereafter the girls are separated from each other and everything they know. Cole goes to Brazil with their father, Deck and his girl friend, Carmen, in an attempt to escape racism while Birdie goes into hiding with their activist mother, Sandy, in order to escape trouble. Birdie soon devises a plan to escape their psychotic mother and find her sister again. Read on to discover how she finds her beloved sister.
Lisa E

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Louisa May Alcott's book, “Little Women”, is a work of fiction. I enjoyed reading this book because it's about four young sisters and their journey to becoming successful women. The book has many valuable lessons to which I could relate. Many individuals would enjoy reading this book because it's a book about the hardships of growing up, especially if you're a girl. The four sisters learn to be independent by listening to their mother's advice and also by learning from their own mistakes.

Jessica M.

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

S.E. Hinton's book, “The Outsiders”, is a well written fictional novel. The book tells the story of a boy named Ponyboy Curtis and his brothers, Sodapop and Darry. They belong to a group of poor teenage boys called Greasers. The Socs are a group of wealthy, privileged boys who beat them up for fun. So, in other words, these two groups of teenagers are "rival gangs". Ponyboy feels he is not wanted because of the way his brothers treat him. Instead, he sees Darry was just being overprotective when he yelled at him. Toward the end of the novel Ponyboy feels for the first time he and his two brothers form a family.

Jorge C.

THE GLASS CASTLE - Jeannette Walls

There are many reasons why I liked this book. The most important reason is the love and innocence of a smart young girl that keeps her believing in her parents even though they hadn't been good parents at all. Another reason I loved this book is because when I was reading it I could feel a huge emotion, like if I was part of it. I also realize kids who live with alcoholic people suffer more than what I thought. I also liked it because it gives you a perfect example that it is better to confront your errors right away instead of running away from them.

I believe other students would not just enjoy this book but would also identify with it. I think after reading this book, readers would have a better idea of what they want to do with their life.

Lourdes P.

My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult

The book, "My Sisters Keeper", is a heartbreaking story mainly about two sisters, Kate and Anna, who are very close but a crucial decision for the younger sister, Anna, causes a lot of problems with the family and ends up changing their lives forever.

I personally would recommend this book. It makes you realize how important your family is and it will make you appreciate them much more. This story causes you to experience many different emotions and in the end, it leaves you with a life changing experience. Although this story makes your emotions jump in different directions, the ending will leave you in tears but it’s nothing like the movie.

Katie S.

Among the Hidden by Margaret P. Haddix

Luke, a boy with no freedom, why? Because this was a time when families could only have two children. Well, this family in particular had three kids who enjoyed playing outside in the woods near where they lived and where no people could see them. But time passes and one day people started to cut down trees to make more houses. This was a problem because now this third kid named Luke no longer had any freedom. He needed to hide from these people. Who knows what could happen if they found him? Time passes and Luke started to count how many people lived in each house. One day he found out his neighbor had a third child. He decided to sneak out of the house. What would happen now? Will Luke get his family in big trouble?

Dan C.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott, takes place during the Civil War and focuses on the March family living in Concord, Massachusetts. Their father is away with the Union Army, leaving a wife and four daughters to fend for themselves. The four girls have very distinct personalities: Meg is proper, Jo is boyish, Beth shy and Amy bratty. Because of this, it is easy to identify with at least one of the sisters, allowing you to feel their pains and joys. The March family used to be rich but is now poor with each member simply trying to make their way in the world and figure out who they are. They befriend their wealthy neighbors, Mr. Laurence and his grandson nicknamed "Laurie", which only leads to further adventures and mishaps. Through thick and thin, sickness, anger, vanity and selfishness, the March girls fumble through life and grow up with smiles (most of the time) and fun, making Little Women an intelligent, entertaining read.


Mindy S.

Finding Miracles by Julia Alvarez

“Finding Miracles” is about an ordinary American teenager living in Vermont. Her name is Milly Kaufman and she lives with both her parents, a sister about the same age as she and a younger brother. Her life was ordinary until she met Pablo, a new student at her high school. Pablo has an exotic accent, a strange fashion sense and an intense interest in Milly. His interest of her forces her to confront her identity as an adopted child from Pablo's native country. As their relationship grows, Milly decides to undertake a courageous journey to her homeland. Along the way she discovers the story of her birth is intertwined with the story of a country recovering from a brutal history.

Yesenia G.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

In my opinion, Jane Austen has worked Pride and Prejudice into a masterpiece. The story starts with a family who lives in Longbourn, the Bennets. There is news of a wealthy young gentleman, Charles Bingley, renting a manor in nearby Netherfield Park. This causes quite a stir in the town, especially at the Bennet household. The Bennets have five unmarried daughters—Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty and Lydia—and Mrs. Bennet is desperate for them to get married. When a wealthy man visits town it causes quite a stir among the families wishing to get their daughters married, such as the Bennets. The plot of this book follows the daughters and their relationships with people such as Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley and Mr. Wickham. While reading this book, you follow them as their relationships grow, fall apart and overcome obstacles.

Kevin C.

Chronicles of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

I liked this book a lot. It goes back to the Mexican culture. It is about a girl who is interviewing the people from her town in order to get a conclusion on the main events that happened the day Santiago Nasar was killed. The main characters are Angela Vicario and the Vicario twins, Bayardo and Santiago. Angela and Bayardo are to marry but on their wedding night Bayardo finds out she is not a virgin and sends her back home. When the twins find out, they go in search of Santiago to kill him for taking away their sister’s honor. They go through the whole town looking for him. Everyone in town knows Santiago is getting killed except him. It's a great story from a great author, Gabriel Garcia Marquez. If you enjoy his stories, you will enjoy this book.

Yesenia G.

Choke by Chuck Palahniuk

Victor Mancini, a medical-school dropout, is an antihero for our crazy times. He needs to pay his mom's nursing care so he devises an original scam; he chokes on pieces of food while dining in upscale restaurants. He then allows himself to be saved by fellow diners who, feeling responsible for Victor's life, send checks to support him. When he's not cursing this stunt, Victor is at sexual addiction recovery workshops for "action", visiting his mom and spending his days working at a colonial theme park. Chuck Palahniuk is the creative thinker we need and the comic we ought to have.

SV

Will's Choice by Gail Griffith

I liked the book, Will's Choice, because it was very interesting to hear a personal story of a person's struggle with depression. It goes very in depth of the disease that effects so many people. Other students will like this book if they like learning information in a way that is shocking. Many families deal with teens who are depressed on a daily basis but ignore the signs because it "can't happen to them." The book starts off with a shocking beginning about a mother finding her soon foaming from the mouth in his bed and she doesnt know what is wrong. She feels he is just ill and needs to go to the doctor but when he doesn't respond, the setting changes. Emergency 911 was called and they kept asking if Will does drugs; she didn't think so. So what made Will sick?

Jackie K.

Bottled Up by Jaye Murray

Bottled Up is the story of a teenage boy named Pip who is dealing with drug use and an alcoholic, abusive father. After Pip is almost expelled from school, he is forced to participate in counseling for his problems. However, he has to keep this a secret from his laid back mother and abusive father. Throughout the book, Pip’s relationship begins to change with his little brother, Mikey, who is an innocent, curious kid. I thought it was an excellent book because it showed the real story of what some kids have to go through without censoring any of the details. I highly advise others to read this book.

Danny Q.

The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult

Trixie claims her ex-boyfriend raped her but he denies it. The entire town is on his side and not even Trixie's best friend believes her. Is Trixie lying to everyone to get back at him for breaking up with her or is the
town too blinded by Jason's hockey career to see the truth? Trixie's stay at home dad's only job is to protect Trixie. How far will he take it to protect his daughter? I really liked this book because it was suspenseful and everything came together in the end.

Joslyn M.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

This is an excellent book narrated by a girl who was killed and never seen again by anyone. Now she is up above watching her family get along with her death. It brings the family hardships while separating them then bringing them together again. It is a great book that feels real and is really touching.

Tiana C.